Cormyr
'Founded over a thousand years ago, the kingdom of Cormyr benefits from an enlightened monarchy, hard-working citizens, and an advantageous location. Cormyr is a civilized land surrounded by mountains, forests, and settlements of evil humanoids. Known for its well-trained military and its active group of government-sanctioned spell-casters, Cormyr boasts fine food, honest people, strange mysteries, and abundant contacts with other parts of the world. Recently challenged by treacherous noble families, armies of goblins and orcs, famine, a marauding ancient red dragon, and the death of its beloved monarch, Cormyr is now struggling to maintain its holdings. With one of its cities in ruins and great numbers of evil humanoids still roaming the countryside, this nation is in need of resourceful individuals willing to defend the crown and confront its enemies. Life and Society Though there are strong reasons why it shouldn't be, Cormyr is a steadfast and prosperous land. Despite an often violent past, constant armed vigilance against beasts and border perils, and frequent treasonous intrigues, Cormyrians remain loyal, content, prosperous, and peace-loving folk. While the serious reverses of the last two years have shaken the kingdom, Cormyrians expect better days ahead and are willing to work to achieve that goal. The Obarskyr family rules Cormyr, assisted by wise Royal Mages. The long reign of Azoun IV, aided by former Royal Magician Vangerdahast, gave the realm a legacy of stability and prosperity that's the envy of much of Faerûn. Beneath the royal family is a wealthy, sophisticated, often fractious group of noble families on long lineage, influence, and demonstrated loyalty to the crown. The War Wizards—a force of battle-mages under the command of thoughtful wizards such as Caladnei—temper both royal and noble excesses. As the sage Bradaskras of Suzail put it, the Obarskyrs, the nobility, and the War Wizards "form three legs of a stool on which the common folk sit." Most Cormyrians are farmers, ranchers, horse-breeders, foresters, or craftsfolk. The country also maintains a large, capable army, the Purple Dragons—not to be confused with Azoun IV, the king who was called the "Purple Dragon", or the Purple Dragon Thauglor, long the largest and mightiest wyrm of the Dragon Reach. Regional History '''I — The Founding of Cormyr In ancient times, the Forest Country between the Thunder Peaks and Storm Horns mountain ranges was the domain of dragons, including the Purple Dragon, the mighty wyrm Thauglorimorgorus. Elves who settled here found themselves at war with the dragons. This ongoing strife ended in a Feint of Honor duel in which the elf Iliphar Nelnueve, Lord of Scepters, defeated Thauglor. Even as the elves displaced the dragons, humans from Impiltur and Chondath eventually pushed back the elves from the coast of the future Cormyr. As strife between elves and humans grew and humans cleared forests to establish farms, the wisest elves saw that they could not stop or defeat the human intruders. Judging the settle Ondeth Obarskyr to be the most influential human leader, they selected the human wizard Baerauble Etharr (consort to the elf Alea Dahast) to be their agent in guiding Ondeth. In this way the elves hoped to slow settlement, keep peace, and retain the best stretches of forest. Ondeth's farm ultimately grew into the great city of Suzail, named for Ondeth's wife Suzara. Ironically, she hated Cormyr and the frontier life so much that she eventually left him. Ondeth was a just and honorable man, and although Baerauble was reluctant to leave elven society, he became the first of the famous guiding Royal Magicians of Cormyr. When Ondeth died, the elves convinced his son Faerlthann to become the first king of the human realm they'd shaped—and so, in the Year of Opening Doors (26 DR), Cormyr was founded. II — Rise of the Forest Kingdom Through the efforts of Baerauble and his successors, as well as the vigor and wits of Cormyr’s royal family, the throne has been held by the Obarskyrs for over a thousand years. During that time, the Forest Kingdom has grown prosperous and strong, survived several invasions, absorbed the realms of Esparin and Orva, claimed the still-wild Stonelands, and crushed repeated rebellions in the cities of Arabel and Marsember. Despite several challenges to the throne and internal uprisings, the Obarskyrs have remained in control of Cormyr, assisted and directed by wise and forward-looking wizards. III — The Reign of Azoun IV Cormyr reached its zenith under the rule of King Azoun IV, who was crowned in 1336 DR. Years of prosperity under his capable rule, bolstered by the wisdom of the Royal Magician Vangerdahast, made Cormyr stronger. Its might and influence waxed, its population grew, and Cormyrians became successful merchants and shopkeepers, each generation achieving more wealth and learning than the last. During Azoun’s time the westernmost marches were settled in earnest, Sembia was rebuffed in border disputes, forays were mounted against the growing Zhentarim power in the Stonelands, Tilverton was occupied as a protectorate, and overtures of lasting alliance were made to the Dales. Though never a match for the glittering wealth of neighboring Sembia, Cormyr was widely envied for its strength and security. IV — A King's Fall Cormyr’s peace finally failed in the last two years of Azoun’s reign. A blight fell upon the land, orcs and goblins invaded in numbers not seen in Cormyr for centuries, and old foes of the Obarskyrs, risen through evil magic as ghazneths (magic-draining winged creatures of great power), tore at the realm. Cormyr roused itself to war, only to suffer defeat after defeat. Goblin castles arose in the northern reaches, Vangerdahast disappeared, and the ghazneths were joined in the skies by a huge wyrm, the “Devil Dragon”, Nalavarauthatoryl the Red. Azoun and his warlike younger daughter, Alusair the Steel Princess, fought the goblinkin but tasted more defeat. The city of Arabel was besieged, evacuated, and lost to goblin armies. Some nobles committed outright treason, and others openly defied the Crown Princess, revealing that many among Cormyr’s nobility no longer felt any loyalty to the crown beyond their personal respect for Azoun. By the end of the crisis, the Devil Dragon and Azoun IV had slain each other on the battlefield, and a great number of the realm’s mightiest warriors, officials, soldiers, War Wizards, and highest nobility were lost. Crown Princess Tanalasta defeated the ghazneths but died soon after in childbirth, giving the land a new king: the infant Azoun V. V — The Current State Today Princess Alusair rules Cormyr as regent, ably assisted by the Dowager Queen Filfaeril. The ailing wizard Vangerdahast has chosen a successor, the battle-sorcerer Caladnei, and hidden himself away from the eyes of the world. Many nobles are on the sword’s edge of rebellion, others seek to claw their way back from exile, and Sembian interests are trying to covertly take control of Cormyr or at least gain substantial influence. As the land rebuilds, it offers new opportunities—and new dangers. __NOEDITSECTION__